Sean Penn: His Life and Times [Hardcover]

Richard T. Kelly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 22, 2004

Sean Penn had barely hit our movie screens before he was hailed as "the best actor of his generation." Then his tumultuous marriage to Madonna turned his life into pulp fiction, even landing him in jail. But Penn was made of sterner stuff, re-emerging as a brilliant director, devoted father, occasional hell-raiser...and reluctant actor, capable nevertheless of breathtaking performances (Dead Man Walking, Sweet and Lowdown, Mystic River, and most recently 21 Grams). Inspired by the example of his father Leo, a decorated World War II serviceman whose acting career was cruelly curtailed during the 1940s blacklist era, he also found his political voice. Drawing on exclusive interviews with Penn and his family, friends, and colleagues (Jack Nicholson, Dennis Hopper, Woody Allen, Susan Sarandon, Bono, Christopher Walken, Angelica Huston, Kevin Spacey, and many more), Richard T. Kelly creates a richly detailed and multi-faceted portrait of an uncompromising American artist. The book also includes over seventy-five black-and-white photographs.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like its subject, Kelly's biography of the idiosyncratic Oscar winner pulses with insight. Composed as an oral history, film writer Kelly's book boasts the full participation of the actor, whose volatile relationship with the press initially gained him more fame than his talent. Penn's skills manifested themselves early on: as a 14-year-old extra for a Little House on the Prairie episode, Penn refused to eat lunch because "I thought you should stay with your character in the situation." Featuring commentary from Penn's entire family (including wife Robin Wright Penn but minus his late father, actor/director Leo Penn) and actors like Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper, Kelly's book forges further beyond the usual Hollywood bio by interviewing several men Penn has portrayed in film (such as convicted spy Andrew Daulton Lee, whom Penn played in 1985's The Falcon and the Snowman). "He wants the tough substance," television executive John Sykes says, an observation that may seem obvious in light of Penn's challenging films and his burgeoning political involvement, but that in the context of this book, which also highlights Penn's repeated reluctance to act, deepens the portrait of the actor. Structured chronologically, the book may offer opportunities for Penn's less rapturous fans to skip over certain sections, but the oral history format—so well suited for a subject who engenders countless stories—is perfect here. Photos.
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About the Author

Richard T. Kelly was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. A journalist and documentary maker, his previous books for Faber are Alan Clarke (1998) and The Name of this Book is Dogme95 (2000). --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Canongate U.S. (November 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841956236
• ISBN-13: 978-1841956237
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #700,689 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great talks on a great actor, December 29, 2004

By 

James Sturch "James Sturch" (El Cajon, Ca) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sean Penn: His Life and Times (Hardcover)

Having seen Sean Penn up close in Sam Shepard's The LATE HENRY MOSS, having flown up from San Diego, first-row, watching him and Nolte battle one another, was for me a once-in-a-lifetime experience that started, like the book, in the beginning: Taps, 'Fast Times,' 'Bad Boys'...this book is one long rambling conversation about the art of acting, the art of Penn, and all the details of his life. Integrity is a word that reappears and could be applied to choices this great actor has made, even by going to Iraq to see what was going on over there! We should all be curious enough to question. This is a book about stories, about what movies could have been made, should have been made, about paths crossing, told straight and sober. This is an actor who is getting better and better, more honest, organic, raw even. Just wait 'til 'Richard Nixon' comes your way, let alone the masterful last year's 'Mystic.' If you love this actor, love his performances (my brother's favorite is Kleinfeld in 'Carlito's,' mine: ALL, ok, I thought 'Hurlyburly' is as good as it gets to becoming scarily real). Get this book. If you love acting, and the stories of projects put together, riding on that integrity, staying close to what you believe in, this book on Penn is definitive, told by those real close, told by those who talk now by the great actor whose lineage is from the great ones (the great one who recently passed: Brando). I love this book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than a character actor, but an actor with character!, January 25, 2006

By 

billy c bowden "Jett" (dallas, texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sean Penn: His Life and Times (Hardcover)

Sean Penn seems frightfully young to have his biography in print, however, in terms of career, he is an old Hollywood hand, the proof -- is rather well documented by his contemporaries..Penn has been schlepping in showbiz for decades, with an eclectic/eccentric body of work, he started early and with certain purpose..And acting is overwhelmingly in his genes, his mother Eileen Ryan Penn was once a noteworthy stage queen, is in fact regarded in select theatrical circles as the quintessential Blanche Dubois, over and above even Vivien Leigh..Penn's father Leo was a tireless, trouble-shooting Hollywood television series director, known for the 60's hospital episodics like "Ben Casey," and "Doctor Kildare"..And Leo was the victim of an unfounded HUAC blacklist, that froze his career like a nuclear winter, having once been peripherally named as a Pinko sympathizer by a "friend"..In actuality, Leo was a decorated veteran, a tailgunner, having flown three dozen successful bomber missions during WWII..Ironic?..Most people don't know Eileen was both Irish, and Italian, and Leo was a non-practicing Russian Jew..You began to appreciate why Sean is naturally versatile..And Sean grew up in a Hollywood/Malibu household that supported the brothers in all their endeavors and passions, but don't wrongfully assume Sean was the benefactor of orchestrated nepotism, as Leo's kid..Sean studied his craft for years behind his parent's back, toiling in LA workshops, and relocated to a cockroach infested flat in New York to more seriously refine his skills..When strapped for cash, Penn camped out with other starving actors, slept on their couches for months on end, on both coasts, and in time made positive noise accepting showy parts in off-Broadway plays, relentlessly on the prowl for agency representation, that inched along like a North Sea iceberg..No joke, Sean was spurned by every major talent agency in the country at one juncture or another..In fact, when Penn's parents first saw him act, they asked themselves, does Sean realize he is so awful, yet, no doubt unafraid?..Obviously, Sean evolved into a dedicated method actor..And his coharts generously toss the words loyalty and integrity around to define his character..This biography is a series of interviews, an oral history by both Sean Penn and the many actors he's worked with over the years (ala Christopher Walken, Elizabeth McGovern)..You won't want to put this book down for an instant..It's a marvelous recap how Sean Penn made the grade from obscure "bad boy" actor to A-list bankable star, despite a disruptive detour with Madonna and Johnny Law..And a penetrating insight into how the "Hurly Burly" Hollywood system operates..Read it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating biographical survey & "window" into the career and personal life of the accomplished actor & director Sean Penn, April 5, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sean Penn: His Life and Times (Paperback)

Sean Penn: His Life And Times - The Authorized Biography by journalist Richard T. Kelly is a fascinating biographical survey and "window" into the career and personal life of the accomplished actor and director Sean Penn. Exclusively documented and informatively written, Sean Penn: His Life And Times explores many interesting intricacies of the friendships, career moves, family and landmarks of Sean Penn's life, including interviews from his colleagues and friends Jack Nicholson, Dennis Hopper, Woody Allen, Susan Sarandon, Bono, Christopher Walken, Angelica Huston, and many more recognized and praised individuals. Very highly recommended reading for all Sean Penn fans, as well as Hollywood film buffs interested in behind-the-scenes realities of the Hollywood film industry. Sean Penn.